American comic book: I, with my abundant martial virtue, love to do good to others.

His gaze grew even colder: "Mark, we've found proof of their involvement in the experiment. But we still need to confirm Daedalus's location."

"Understood, we will continue to hold off the guards," Mark replied.

Lynn packed all the documents he found into a bag, then led the team deeper into the base. They came to a laboratory and discovered more instruments and equipment, clearly used for genetic research.

"These devices are still running," one team member said after checking. "That means they've been conducting experiments recently."

Lynn glanced at the specimens on the lab table, his brow furrowing slightly. "These experimental specimens... are clearly the result of artificially implanted mutant genes. They are trying to create enhanced individuals."

"These lunatics," another team member muttered.

"Continue taking photos, document all the equipment and samples," Lynn instructed. "These are important evidence."

Just as they were busy, an alarm suddenly sounded in the base, its piercing sound echoing through the corridors.

"Our operation has been discovered!" Mark's voice came through the earpiece. "The guards at the main gate have increased their defenses. You need to evacuate immediately!"

Lynn made a quick decision: "Retreat, take all the evidence. The main assault team will cover our escape."

The team members quickly packed up their equipment and documents and retreated through another corridor. However, more guards had appeared on both sides of the passage, trying to block their way.

Lynn led the charge, suppressing the enemy with precise fire while directing his men to find a new exit. They rushed to the base's back gate and found a spare truck parked outside.

"Get in the car, quick!" Lynn shouted as he fired.

The team members quickly jumped onto the truck. Lynn was the last to board, smashing the rear window with the butt of his rifle to monitor the pursuers' movements. The truck sped off, disappearing from the base's perimeter.

"There's a small path behind the base that leads to the main road. We can shake them off there," Mark provided guidance over the communication.

The truck sped along, with several pursuing vehicles close behind. Lynn used the rifle in the back of the truck to accurately hit the tires of the pursuing vehicles, forcing them to stop one by one.

"Well done!" Mark's voice was tinged with excitement.

A few minutes later, they successfully shook off their pursuers and drove into an abandoned industrial area. Lynn ordered the car to stop, and after confirming that all team members were safe, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"We need to get this evidence back to headquarters as soon as possible." Lynn looked at the bag full of documents, his eyes filled with calm determination. "These things are enough to prove that Allen's parents were involved in the experiment, but more importantly, they can reveal the true face of Daedalus."

Mark nodded and patted Lynn on the shoulder: "Detective, you did it. This is just the first step; we will definitely find them."

Lynn brought all the documents he had taken from the security company's training base back to headquarters and worked late into the night with Mark. They analyzed the documents one by one and finally discovered a shocking clue in a personnel file.

"Detective, these people aren't just employees of the security company," Mark said, pointing to a form. "Many of the people listed here are connected to other missing persons cases we've investigated before. Although these cases seem unrelated, the missing persons' backgrounds share some similarities."

Lynn picked up the file and read it carefully. He found that many of the missing persons were parents from ordinary families or young single people. These families often had one thing in common—their children or relatives showed some kind of potential special ability, or even suspected mutants.

"These people may not be the targets of random disappearances," Lynn said in a deep voice. "The experimental organization may have selected them to study the heritability of mutant genes or to cultivate more stable mutant abilities."

Mark nodded in agreement: "And members of these families could be their next targets. We need to expand the investigation to see how many hidden connections are behind these disappearances."

To investigate further, Lynn decided to contact the families of the missing persons, hoping to get more clues from them. The next day, he and Mark drove to the home of one of the missing persons. She was a middle-aged woman whose husband had not returned home since going out late one night three years ago.

"I'm used to this pain." The woman handed Lynn a cup of coffee, her eyes filled with exhaustion. "The police told me he might just have run away from home, but I know he won't. He's a good husband and would never abandon me and the children."

Lynn looked through the photos she provided and saw a family portrait in which the missing person's husband was embracing their son, who was playing with a toy train with an innocent smile on his face.

"How is your son now?" Lynn asked cautiously.

"He's brave, but also very scared." The woman's voice trembled slightly. "Ever since his father disappeared, he's had nightmares, saying that someone is trying to take him away. He rarely goes out now and doesn't play with other children."

Lynn nodded, then took a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to the woman: "This is my contact information. If you or your child encounter anything suspicious, please contact me immediately."

After leaving the woman's home, Lynn and Mark sat in the car in silence for a moment. Lynn looked out the window and said softly, "The breaking up of these families is not only a consequence of crime, but also a reflection of the cold-bloodedness of those who orchestrated it."

Mark gripped the steering wheel, his voice tinged with anger: "Detective, we must uncover the truth. This isn't just for Allen's parents, but for these innocent families."

Over the next few days, Lynn and Mark visited the families of several missing persons and discovered more disturbing commonalities. These missing persons often exhibited some abnormal behavior before being kidnapped, such as receiving anonymous emails, going out at night without reason, or even being followed by strangers.

Even more worryingly, they discovered that some of the families' children also began to show signs of being monitored or threatened after their disappearances. Lynn realized that the tentacles of the experimental organization might still be active, ready to ensnare more victims at any time.

Using this information, Lynn and Mark created a complex network diagram connecting the time, location, and background of all the missing persons cases. They discovered that most of the last places the missing persons were last seen were concentrated in a few specific areas, all of which were associated with the activities of security companies and experimental organizations.

“We need more support,” Mark said. “These leads point to a huge network, and if we can’t stop them, the number of missing victims will only increase.”

After a moment's thought, Lynn decided to temporarily bypass his superiors' restrictions and contact his reliable colleagues in other departments directly. He passed the investigation materials to an old friend who worked for the Federal Law Enforcement Agency, who quickly helped him obtain more internal information about some security companies and experimental organizations.

"This company's cash flow is suspicious," the other party told Lynn over the phone. "They are transferring funds through multiple offshore accounts, some of which ultimately went to a clandestine biological laboratory in the suburbs of Manhattan."

Lynn quickly added this information to his investigation and decided to go to the laboratory himself. He and Mark led a small team and quietly approached the area where the laboratory was located in the dead of night.

The laboratory looked like an ordinary warehouse from the outside, but it was heavily guarded inside. Lynn observed for a while and found that the door had a heavy lock and that there were surveillance cameras all around.

"It seems they've been hiding quite a few secrets here," Mark said in a low voice.

"We'll split into two groups," Lynn decided. "One group will draw attention, while the other group will sneak in through the side door."

The operation unfolded swiftly. Mark led the main assault team to distract the guards, while Lynn and the infiltration team successfully entered the laboratory. They discovered that the laboratory contained a large amount of experimental equipment and chemical reagents, as well as several marked freezers.

"The freezers here may contain samples from the experimental subjects," one of the team members said.

Lynn nodded and began to carefully examine the labels on the freezers. He noticed that one of the freezers was labeled "Miller-K&C," clearly Catherine and George's code names.

"We've found their names," Lynn said with a hint of excitement, "but these are just samples; the real people may have been moved elsewhere."

Just then, the alarm suddenly went off, and the lights in the laboratory turned a blinding red.

"We've been exposed!" Mark's voice came through the earpiece. "Reinforcements are on their way. We must evacuate as soon as possible!"

Lynn quickly ordered, "Take all documents and samples you can. We must get these out before the enemy does."

The team stormed out of the lab amidst fierce firefights, encountering tough resistance but ultimately managing to evacuate successfully. They brought all the evidence back to headquarters and contacted more reliable technical personnel for analysis.

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Through this operation, Lynn finally obtained more crucial information about Catherine and George. They had been marked as "high-value targets" by the experimental organization, and their current whereabouts pointed to a secret base codenamed "Safe Haven."

Lynn returned to his office late at night, his face etched with exhaustion. The continuous high-intensity investigation had left him drained, but he knew that every minute could determine the fate of Allen's parents.

He had just sat down when his phone rang. He picked it up and saw it was Kate calling.

"Kate, what's up so late?" Lynn answered the phone, her voice sounding a little tired.

"Your voice sounds awful, Lynn," Kate said with concern. "I bet you haven't had a day off again."

Lynn leaned back in her chair and sighed softly, "It's alright, just work. Is there something special that you need to call so late?"

"Nothing special," Kate said with a hint of a smile. "I just thought you needed some rest. I know a good restaurant, is it closed yet? If you're still awake, let's go grab something to eat."

Lynn glanced at the documents on the table, hesitating for a moment, but Kate's suggestion did indeed shake him. He needed a moment to catch his breath, not only physically but also mentally.

"Okay, I need a change of scenery to clear my head." Lynn stood up, grabbed her coat, and said, "Send me the address, I'll be right there."

The restaurant Kate chose was in a quiet corner of Manhattan, with a warm and understated atmosphere. When Lynn arrived, Kate was already seated at a corner table, waiting for him. Two steaming cups of coffee sat on the table, and the air was filled with a faint aroma of coffee.

"You look worse than you sound on the phone." Kate looked up at him, her brow furrowed. "Lynn, you need to learn to rest."

Lynn smiled helplessly: "You know, cases don't wait for anyone. Especially this case, I can't afford to relax for a moment."

Kate pushed a cup of coffee toward him, her tone softening slightly: "I understand why you're so insistent. Alan is a good kid, and his family history is something you can't ignore, but if you fall, who will help him?"

Lynn held his coffee cup, head bowed in thought for a moment: "Kate, I just feel... these things shouldn't have happened. If I have a chance to stop them, I have to give it my all."

Kate nodded, her eyes filled with understanding: "Your persistence is what I admire most, but don't forget, you're not fighting alone. You have Mark, and you have all of us who care about you."

"Concerned about me?" Lynn looked up, his gaze meeting Kate's, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Does this count as a public admission?"

Kate chuckled at his words, her tone slightly teasing: "I never denied it. I just didn't expect you to be so slow to realize."

Lynn chuckled and shook his head, naturally returning the conversation to Allen's case. He briefly described to Kate the recent developments in the investigation and the unsettling clues they had uncovered.

“This isn’t just about Alan’s parents,” Lynn said in a low voice, his gaze grave. “Behind these disappearances lies a vast criminal network. Many more families may be suffering the same pain.”

Kate's face darkened. "I know this case is complicated, but maybe I can help you. I know some journalists who investigate social issues; they might have encountered similar cases. Perhaps I can gather more information for you from a media perspective."

Lynn nodded. "If you can provide any clues, that would be a huge help. But Kate, it could be dangerous. I don't want you to get into trouble because of this."

Kate's gaze was firm: "Lynn, you know I'm not afraid of trouble. This is my job, and it's what I want to do."

Lynn looked at her, then finally sighed, "Alright, but if you spot any signs of danger, be sure to tell me immediately. We'll deal with it together."

After they finished dinner, Kate insisted on walking Lynn back to his office. She helped him tidy up some of the documents on his desk, carefully marking the ones that needed to be prioritized.

"Thank you, Kate." Lynn looked at her retreating figure, his voice filled with warmth.

Kate turned around and gave a slight smile: "What are you thanking me for? It's what I should do."

Lynn watched Kate leave, then sat back down at his table, gathering his thoughts. He knew that Kate's support not only warmed his heart but also gave him more strength in this lonely battle. (End of Chapter)